In steering system transmissions, and particularly with rack-and-pinion steering gears or helical gears or worm gears, shafts are supported by way of driving wheels, such as pinions or worms, in a fixed bearing and a radially movable floating bearing. For this purpose, the floating bearing has a degree of freedom which allows the driving wheel to rotate and roll play-free on the driven wheel or a toothed rack using a pressing device. The pressing device is further used to compensate for wear between the driving and driven wheels, or the corresponding denticulation between the wheels. This leads to the production of noise, particularly when changing the direction of rotation of the shaft, such as when reversing the direction of travel with steering gears.
US 2004/0084865 A1 describes an electric steering system, the actuator of which constitutes an electric motor with a flange-connected worm gear. A shaft, which is arranged rotation-fast with a cylindrical worm in a gear housing, is supported by way of two rolling bearings as fixed bearings. In order to prevent noise from the denticulation between the cylindrical worm and the worm wheel, the publication suggests arranging an elastic coupling layer between the shaft and the cylindrical worm. This design measure is complex from a manufacturing perspective, and it does not allow for compensation for the wear in the denticulation.
DE 10 2005 035 020 A1 shows and describes a radially movable floating bearing for a steering system gear shaft, comprising a bushing or inner ring which is supported in a seat of a steering gear housing, wherein the inner ring is held by at least one support element made of an elastomeric material that is inserted in a gap between the seat and the inner ring, the support element forming a pivot bearing.
When operating such a radially movable floating bearing, contact of the inner ring with the seat and the production of noise are not reliably prevented.